How to Unlock Characters in DragonSword: Awakening

DragonSword: Awakening unlocks all 19 of its heroes in-game — nothing is behind gacha or real money. The short version: 8 characters join by playing the main story and Hero Quests, and the other 11 are recruited from the Exchange shop using Fate’s Invitation tickets earned the same way.

How Character Unlocking Works

There are two paths and only two. Eight heroes join automatically through campaign and Hero Quest progression, while eleven are recruited from the Exchange shop. Each Exchange hero costs exactly one Fate’s Invitation, so the ticket is the only real unlock currency in the game. Because there is no gacha, your progress is fully deterministic — see the full roster for who is who. There is no stamina system gating any of this, so you can earn tickets and fragments at your own pace.

The 8 Story Heroes

These join by completing the main story and Hero Quests: Lute, Castella, Aria, Johnny, Ornette, Kalsion, Cerese and Othello. They are your early roster, and several of them anchor strong beginner teams — plan around them first and the Exchange picks become obvious. Lute, Theresia and Ornette are all unlockable early and make a balanced three-hero squad, which the beginner guide covers in detail.

The 11 Exchange Heroes

The remaining heroes — Eileen, Reina, Astria, Roxy, Alex, Kalien, Dana, Theresia, Tarte, Sion and Charlotte — are recruited from the Exchange shop with one Fate’s Invitation each. Some of them, like Theresia, are popular picks, while Charlotte is the community’s most-recommended unlock. Because tickets are scarce early, checking the tier list before spending is worth the time. The Exchange list is fixed, so you can plan your whole roster before ever spending a ticket.

Where Fate’s Invitation Comes From

Fate’s Invitation tickets come from completing main story and Hero Quests — there is no microtransaction and no way to buy them. Your first ticket arrives from finishing the Prologue, so the game nudges you to look at your options before committing. From there, steadily progressing chapters and their Hero Quests is the reliable way to collect the rest — each new chapter also opens another Hero Quest, so following the campaign feeds you tickets without any extra grind. If you are wondering about spending, our gacha explainer clarifies why there is none to spend on.

Fragment of Memory and Exclusive Karma

Beyond recruiting, you can power up a hero with their exclusive Karma. Collect Fragment of Memory from chests, the mercenary party and the trial tower, then visit the Alchemy shop — unlocked after Chapter 2 by finding Shanoa in Orbis Palace — and trade 100 fragments plus 100,000 gold for a Fragment of Afterimage. That item exchanges for the hero’s exclusive Karma, which unlocks new combat abilities. This is separate from Basic Karma, which upgrades generic stats and comes from World Bosses. Because the Alchemy workshop only unlocks after Chapter 2, exclusive Karma is naturally an endgame-oriented goal rather than a day-one concern. Lore fans can also dig into the story guide for more context on the roster.